As the Los Angeles Clippers ready for the regular season, news broke on Sunday that Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is dealing with a Jones Fracture in his right foot and will miss at least the first month of the season. The fracture at the base of his small toe reportedly will keep Durant out 6 to 8 weeks at a minimum, with some speculating that the Thunder could look to keep Durant out even longer to err on the side of caution with the injury.

It’s the second consecutive year the Thunder has to deal with a major injury to a key player at the beginning of the regular season. Last year the Thunder were without star point guard Russell Westbrook at the beginning of the year, an injury the Thunder were able to overcome and still finish with the second best record in the Western Conference. The injury to Durant could be much more significant. In Reggie Jackson, one of the best backup point guards in the NBA, Oklahoma City had a solid replacement for Westbrook, something that simply doesn’t exist for Durant. Depending on how much time Durant misses the Thunder will likely struggle without Durant, a factor that can impact the rest of the Western Conference teams.

How big of an impact is the injury to Durant on the Clippers chances to earn the best record in the Western Conference? It could be potentially significant.

More than anything the injury to Durant is a reminder that injury luck in the NBA can be fleeting, and the Thunder have had good luck with injuries during their run of strong play over the past several years, prior to last season. Now it’s Durant who’s on the sidelines with Westbrook forced to take a bigger role in the offense. The one constant has been Durant, who has missed only six total games in the past five seasons, including the postseason. The Thunder have not had to play without their superstar for any significant stretch in the past five years, a major factor in their ability to always finish in the top two in the Western Conference.

Durant could miss 15 to 30 games if you take into account the full range of recovery that experts have laid out. If Durant misses the larger number of games, the Thunder could be in a significant hole to the Clippers and Spurs when it comes to best record and the all important home court advantage in the playoffs, a significant factor in the Thunder defeat of the Clippers in last year’s playoffs. The absence of Durant could mean the Thunder go from a 60 win team to a 53 to 55 win team, a factor that may not only put the Thunder behind the Clippers and Spurs, but could potentially put them in a group of teams that includes the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.

The Thunder need to be careful with Durant and have his long-term health in mind. Although many players recover quickly from such injuries, there are cases like Brook Lopez and Yao Ming where foot injuries have lingered for a longer period of time. If the Thunder are more conservative with Durant it’s a major opportunity for the Clippers to earn home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Kobe Bryant is one of the league’s greatest players of all-time. He is entering his 19th NBA season this fall and has been to the All-Star Game 16 times in his illustrious career. Tack on five NBA Championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and one regular season MVP and Bryant is a surefire Hall-of-Famer. The past two years have been rough for the 36-year-old though. He has suffered two serious leg injuries including a torn Achilles and a fractured knee. To make matters worse, the Lakers are coming off a season in which they won only 27 games, and things don’t look much better this year unless vintage Bryant comes back. With a poor supporting cast and an aging star coming back from serious injuries, the Lakers don’t appear to be building for the future or winning in the present. Bryant is expected to retire in two years, and the summer of 2016 has several NBA games starts becoming available in free agency. The Lakers are hoping some of those stars can get past the losing ways of recent and head to the attractive destination of Los Angeles.

KOBE

Last season, Bryant was coming back from a torn Achilles and all signs pointed to him being physically beautiful. The Lakers were coming off a summer in which Dwight Howard bolted town for the Houston Rockets, but if Bryant was healthy, they were expected to be in the playoff hunt. He struggled initially coming back from injury just because he hadn’t played in game action for a while. In his 10th game of the year, though, he went down with a fractured knee and the Lakers season went up in flames. Add in injuries to Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash and Los Angeles was trotting a team of street free agents on the court. The results weren’t good. This offseason, they re-signed Jordan Hill to a two-year deal and drafted University of Kentucky big man Julius Randle with the seventh overall pick. The cupboard is still quite bare though and asking your aging superstar to turn back the clock and win games on his own after the devastating injuries he’s suffered unrealistic.

Los Angeles has always gotten by on their team history, spotlight, and beautiful weather in Southern California. Free agents loved that about the Lakers. That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Howard and Pau Gasol have left town during the last two offseasons. Unless Randle becomes a star in the next two years, it’s hard to expect any prominent free agents to come to town because the Lakers aren’t an attractive winning destination.

Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Nicolas Batum, Brook Lopez and Mike Conley are among the free agents that will hit the market in the offseason of 2016. Fellow Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James and Kevin Love could even hit the market if they opt out of their contracts. The summer of 2016 is gearing up to be one of the best in recent years, and the Lakers will have plenty of cap room. However, without a plan for the future in place and the ability to win immediately, they may have to settle for the remaining free agents.

The Portland Trailblazers have won one NBA Championship since entering the league as a franchise in 1970. Following the 1977 title, the Blazers have had a tough go of things and been one of the unluckiest franchises in the league. They passed up players in the 1984 NBA Draft such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, instead opting for Sam Bowie. In the 2007 NBA Draft, they selected Greg Oden with the first overall pick and passed on league’s current best player behind Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James in OKC Thunder Kevin Durant. The team’s franchise player from the 2006 NBA Draft, Brandon Roy, was a budding superstar but chronic knee issues forced him to retire. If some breaks had gone their way, they would have multiple championship balls in their trophy case. With an unlucky history, the current Portland squad is in good hands. The sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Damian Lillard, has turned into a superstar already in this league and has teamed up with LaMarcus Aldridge to form a dynamic duo. With the 24-year-old Lillard entering his third NBA season, the tides have turned for the Blazers as they seem to be on the lucky side for a change.

Like most of the great players, Lillard has overcome a lot to reach the status of elite. He was only recruited by one Division I school out of high school in Oakland, California. Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, was that school and Lillard played with a chip on his shoulders. The six-foot-three point guard dominated for Weber State, winning Freshman of the Year honors and Player of the Year honors twice. He was a prolific scorer and showcased his excellent athleticism which led to the Blazers picking Lillard in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Lillard started off his career with a bang, picking up Co-MVP honors of the NBA Summer League and dropping 23 points and 11 assists in his regular season debut. Portland didn’t make the playoffs during Lillard’s first season but he won Rookie of the Year honors and the expectations were raised. This past season, Lillard made his first All-Star Game appearance and the Blazers claimed the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Lillard once again stepped up big in the clutch, winning the series on a three-pointer at the buzzer to drop the Houston Rockets. The Blazers went on to lose to the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs in round two but the future is set. They missed out on Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Kevin Durant but the Blazers stock is going up with the help of Lillard. Chris M.

At this time of the offseason in the NBA, most of the top free agents have already found their new teams. We already know which will the most powerful teams in either conference will be and how the new balances across the league will be. Let’s take a look at the players who were searched the most on the Internet during the month of June.

It comes as no surprise that on the top spot we find LeBron James. June was the month in which the Miami Heat squared off against the San Antonio Spurs and eventually lost the NBA Championship. But it was also the month in which tons of speculation and rumors about LeBron’s Decision 2.0 arose. Millions of fans searched news about LeBron, trying to find a hint about his next destination. Eventually, his decision was announced in July.

Kobe Bryant lies at the second spot. Although the Black Mamba missed the biggest chunk of the 2013 – 2014 season he still had an influence in the course of the Los Angeles Lakers and their decisions for the future. Kobe was active during the Lakers’ free agency moves, which however didn’t end up with a superstar signing.

Kevin Durant came up third in the list, followed by Tim Duncan. The two of them squared off against each other during the , where Duncan and the Spurs prevailed.

It’s notable that at the fifth spot we find Michael Jordan. Of course, His Airness is no longer playing the game but as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets (formerly known as the Charlotte Bobcats), he still has a significant role in the league. Jordan always draws attention from the fans and the media and the recent changes in Charlotte together with the second playoff berth in franchise history increased the interest from the entire NBA world.

Carmelo Anthony lies on the sixth spot. Melo was the second best free agent this summer, behind LeBron. Although he tested free agency, he ended up re-signing with the New York Knicks. Of course, until mid-June, when the NBA Finals were still under way, Anthony’s name wasn’t that much searched on the Internet.

Dwyane Wade and Tony Parker occupy spots seven and eight in the most searched basketball athletes of the month of June. Again, this was widely expected, since the Heat and the Spurs made it all the way till the NBA Finals.

It’s notable that Lamar Odom entered the top 10 and ranked ninth in the list of Google’s most searched basketball players for June. Odom continues to draw much attention from fans and media across the globe. His marriage with Khloe Kardashian, his off-court issues and his bunch of unsuccessful efforts to return to NBA action are good enough reasons for the attention levels to remain high. Odom reportedly had discussions with some teams around the league about a possibility of a return to the NBA.

Kevin Love finished at No.10. In fact, the megastar forward is now drawing even more attention, as he is the next superstar who will most probably switch teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been exploring trade scenarios for a few months now. Now that LeBron and Melo all off the board, Love is the center of trade discussions in the NBA.

“It must be the shoes” because although Michael Jordan retired from the NBA in 2003 he still leads Lebron, Kobe, Durant and Duncan in being searches since 2004.

One of the big storylines heading into game one of the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder second round series was the two point guards, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook, even after dealing with a knee injury for the better part of a year, is one of the most athletically gifted point guards in the NBA. Paul, the consummate veteran, had a solid opening round series against the Golden State Warriors, but has had to deal with a strained hamstring during the postseason. While many wondered how Paul would fare against an athletic Oklahoma City team, many pointed out how Paul always seems to step up big when challenged.

Boy, were they right.

CP3

Behind one of the greatest performances of his career the Clippers traveled to Oklahoma City and blew out the Thunder in the opening game of their second round playoff series behind a virtuoso performance from Chris Paul. Paul scored 32 points in just 28 minutes of play, shooting 12 of 14 from the field and 8 of 9 from behind the three point line. He also notched ten assists while just turning the ball over two times. Paul made six three-pointers in the first half as the Clippers jumped out to a massive 17 point halftime lead on the way to a 122-105 victory.

Overall the Clippers shot 55% from the field with five total players in double figures. Blake Griffin scored 23 points to go along with 5 boards and 5 assists, while Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes and JJ Redick also hit double figures. Los Angeles had 26 assists and just 8 turnovers. It was a perfect start to game one and a message to the Thunder and the rest of the NBA that the Clippers are ready for a long playoff push.

BLAKE

For Oklahoma City the story was again their lack of balance offensively. As this year’s postseason has evolved, the Thunder has become one-sided to a fault, relying solely on the combination of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Other than a couple of big performances from Reggie Jackson in the Grizzlies series, the Thunder has become the ultimate example of a two man team. After three quarters on Monday night the Clippers led the Thunder by a score of 104-78. Of the 78 Thunder point the combination of Durant and Westbrook scored 54. This deficit included a 22-7 Clippers lead in bench scoring.

Victory in hand the Clippers have a massive opportunity to send the series back to STAPLES Center with a commanding 2-0 lead. They’ll face a desperate Thunder team hoping not to fall behind in the second round like they did in the first round. The Clippers will start game two with a tremendous amount of confidence due to the sheer size of the blowout. Game two is Wednesday night at 6:30 Pacific.

Dont miss any of the action! Clippers Tickets for all playoff games on sale now with no service fees on any tickets.

BARRY’S TICKETS

Barry’s Tickets is located just minutes from Staples Center!
1020 S. Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90015
(across from the Staples Center inside the Luxe City Center)
Open 7 days a week, 9am – 9pm, for pickups.
213 749 0057

Writing in the New York Times columnist Eric Pincus wrote a compelling piece on whether the Lakers could target University of Connecticut Head Coach Kevin Ollie as a potential replacement for Mike D’Antoni. With the Lakers mired at the bottom of the Western Conference and at least another year of rebuilding ahead of them, should the Lakers make a move for Ollie?

Mike D’Antoni is a lame duck coach. Even if he does coach the Lakers next season it’s hard to imagine D’Antoni keeping his job beyond next season. The Lakers have battled injuries all season, but have also shown the negative characteristics of previous D’Antoni coached teams, mainly the inability to play defense. With a high draft pick in the coming draft the Lakers may choose to move on a candidate like Ollie to inject some life into the franchise and maximize the Lakers upcoming draft pick. The former Connecticut star and now head coach is from Los Angeles, playing his high school basketball at Crenshaw High School. In just two seasons in Connecticut he’s capably replaced a legend in Jim Calhoun and has the Huskies playing for yet another National Title on Monday night versus the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kevin Ollie (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

Ollie is compelling not because of his coaching resume, which is impressive albeit with limited head coaching experience. What makes Ollie compelling is his reputation around the league, especially from current Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. As Pincus pointed, out Ollie received major accolades from Durant during a recent interview with Bill Simmons. Durant called Ollie at “game-changer” for his impact on the culture of Oklahoma City during their evolution as a contender in the west. It’s a big stretch to think that the presence of Ollie would draw Durant to Los Angeles, but is indicative of Ollie’s reputation around the league. Durant pointed to the mind-set and professionalism that Ollie brought to the Thunder organization each day.

Would Ollie take the job? Considering his instant success at Connecticut it’s questionable why he would leave the college ranks, but a factor that may impact a decision by Ollie to leave could be Connecticut’s conference situation. The Huskies ended up lost in the shuffle of the conference realignments over the past two seasons and now find themselves in the American Athletic Conference, a far cry from the former Big East they were a member of for over two decades. The American Athletic is far less prestigious than the old Big East and the ACC and could impact Ollie’s decision to stay at Connecticut.

Coach Ollie

If the Lakers were to attract Ollie it doesn’t guarantee they make a run for Durant but it would satisfy the fan base and potentially usher the Lakers into a new era. A solid draft pick in the offseason and the acquisition of Kevin Love after next season can do wonders for the Lakers near term outlook. How a franchise is perceived nationally can have a major impact on potential free agents, for an example look at the LA Clippers and their decision to replace Vinny Del Negro with Doc Rivers. The presence of Rivers immediately upped the prestige of the Clippers organization and made them a desirable target for a player like Danny Granger when he was amnestied this spring. Ollie can have a similar impact as Rivers with the Lakers. Chris M.

There is no denying that the MVP title is a two-man one this year. LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be apparently fighting chest to chest till the end of the season for the award and at the moment, things look really tight. However, it’s worth taking a look at some of the black horses of this race. Although several players have been involved into the discussion for the MVP award this season, at the moment, Blake Griffin and Joakim Noah are the two best underdogs.

Noah is the main reason the Chicago Bulls have managed not only to save the 2013-2014 season but to also emerge up to the third spot in the Eastern Conference. The Frenchman center is doing it all for his team at the moment, playing defense, scoring, dishing assists and rebounding. Although Noah has literally no chances to make it to the top of list of MVP candidates, as LeBron and KD are playing in a whole different level, he is one of the most over performing players this season.

BLAKE

If there is one player who deserves to be considered as a third strong candidate for the MVP award this season, that is Blake Griffin. The highflying forward has not only improved his game in almost any aspect but he has also emerged as the true leader of the Los Angeles Clippers, taking the team on his shoulders during the time Chris Paul was out with an injury.

Griffin is averaging 24 points per contest, almost three more than his career-average and he is also securing 9.6 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists, while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor. He just recently got hurt, during the Clips’ last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he is projected to return to action soon and be ready for the Clips’ playoff push. Despite Griffin’s improvement, he will still not be able to reach the duo of LeBron and Durant.

LeBron is recording a career-best 57.0 percent shooting from the field and he is also putting up 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, which are too much for Griffin to get close. Durant is also recording similarly impressive numbers, maybe even more impressive. He is leading the NBA in scoring with 32.2 points per game and he is also putting up 7.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists. His shooting is also great but slightly lower than LeBron’s rates, 51.2 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from deep.
The MVP race will be coming to its end soon and we will see either Durant or LeBron earning the crown. However, we also have to recognize the efforts of players like Griffin and Noah. Chris M

Use #CLIPSNUGS for chance to win Clippers Vs Nuggets Tickets

Your chance to win a pair of Clippers Vs Nuggets Tickets April 15th at the Staples Center! Just use hashtag #CLIPSNUGS for your chance to win! No Purchase Necessary! You can use enter via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Google+. Your account cannot be locked and you must be following in order to WIN!

If you are entering on you can also enter #CLIPSNUGS as a comment on our post if available!

Barry’s Ticket Service is an Official Partner of the Los Angeles Clippers and is located caddy-corner from the Staples Center! You can purchase Clippers Tickets including Clippers Playoff Tickets with no service fees on any ticket!

The race for the MVP title this season is a close one, a very close one. The two obvious favorites are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Those two megastars have been recording tremendous outputs this season. However, there is one more superstar who is playing like an MVP, who has dramatically improved his production and efficiency from last season and he is a candidate for the MVP award. That’s no other than Blake Griffin.

First of all, Griffin has been playing in a great level all season long, much like the entire Los Angeles Clippers have been doing. The presence of Doc Rivers at the team’s bench meant a big change for Lob City. Discipline and more effort on defense are two new facts that were missing from the Clips’ style of play last year. Griffin also looks like a different, a more mature player right now with Doc Rivers guiding him.

Griffin

This season, he is putting up numbers above his career-averages. The dominant power forward is averaging a team-best 24.4 points per contest to go along with 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 53.9 percent from the field. He has even hit some threes. Griffin is the main wheel for the Clippers on the offensive end. In most possessions the ball runs through him. But even when it doesn’t Blake Griffin contributes by setting great screens or by drawing the attention from the opposing defense. Griffin has improved his mid-range shot significantly and he has also managed to shoot better from the charity stripe. Of course, he continues to be a great rebounder and shot blocker. His defense still isn’t at a world-class level, but he has seen some improvement there, too.

Up to now, Blake Griffin was arguably the most spectacular player in the league. Now, he is also one of the best ones. He is currently considered as the best power forward in the NBA and his performance every night shows why.

MVP?

When the Los Angeles Clippers needed him to step up and take the team on his shoulders, he responded to the call. With Chris Paul out for an extended time, Griffin really took his performance to the next level. He emerged as the true leader of the team and he managed to lead the Clips to some significant wins. It’s notable that LA didn’t drop in the Western Conference rankings despite Paul’s absence.

Of course, the competition for Blake Griffin is huge. It will be almost impossible for him to reach the monster seasons LeBron and Durant are recording. Those two have been simply playing to a whole different level. But if there is one player who could threaten them this season, that is Blake Griffin. Stephen Curry could also be in the discussion.

Griffin has been instrumental in the Clippers recent run of a nine game win streak. On Monday night, Griffin became just the third player in NBA history to tally 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists before the end of his fourth season while shooting 50.0 percent or better. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Blake Griffin and that’s it.

Griffin

Why Blake won’t win MVP? One reason…the Clippers! The local community college team gets more respect then them. They play home games on what is considered the Lakers home court no matter what, Lakers Home Venue and Lakers City. Just ask any Lakers fan. Although they have been gaining respect little by little over the last four years and Clippers ticket prices have slightly increased they are always in the shadow of the Lakers and might not ever come out of it. Blake and Lob City are like the Cleveland Browns they don’t get the NBA spotlight on Sunday’s they don’t make page on of USA Today even though Blake has some of the best dunks of all time just ask Kim Kardashian’s ex husband. When you mention the Clippers to NBA fans they look at you like your insane talking about them. Would Blake winning MVP bring instant credibility to the Clippers and Clippers Nation? I don’t think so but to not be mentioned in the MVP talk for his numbers this season is showing what lack of respect Blake and the Clipper Nation actually get.

I am not saying throw your Kobe or Lakers Jerseys away or the Clippers deserve the respect that the Lakers, Celtics, Miami Heat or Spurs deserve or even Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki but Blake is only in his fourth year and has helped turned the once a joke Clippers into a legit NBA Championship contender and is mentioned in the same breath as one of the greatest to ever play the game in only four years he deserves a second look for MVP this season. Chris Michaels

With Steve Nash and Steve Blake in the fold things might be looking up, at least a little bit, for the Los Angeles Lakers. Nash and Blake returned to the Lakers lineup on Tuesday night in Minnesota, with Nash making his season debut. The depleted Lakers ended up losing Tuesday night at the hands of the Timberwolves, but then went on to win two in a row on the road before losing at home Sunday versus the Chicago Bulls.

Week Recap: Even with the return of Nash and Blake the Lakers continue to be the most snake bit team in the NBA when it comes to losing players. The return of their two point guards coincided with the loss of Nick Young and Jodie Meeks to injury. Wednesday’s night win in Cleveland saw Robert Sacre of the Lakers stay in the game after fouling out, a rarely seen NBA rule, due to the fact the Lakers had just five players left. After already losing Nick Young to injury and Jordan Farmar to leg cramps the Lakers were down to five players after Chris Kaman fouled out. Even with a depleted roster the Lakers hit a season-high 18 three-point shots to defeat the Cavaliers and former Head Coach Mike Brown. Los Angeles continued their winning ways Friday night with a fourteen point defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers behind 19 points from Steve Nash on his 40th birthday. Steve Blake contributed 14 points and 8 assists in the victory. Even without Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol the return of Nash and Blake is a welcome sight for Lakers fans. The Lakers returned home Sunday to face a competitive Chicago Bulls team, losing a tough one, 92-86. Chicago ran out to a nineteen point lead and the Lakers rallied back but couldn’t close the gap in the end, losing despite a season-high 27 points from Chris Kaman. Unfortunately for the Lakers they may have lost Steve Nash again for a short period of time. Nash knocked knees with Kirk Hinrich in the third quarter, causing his knee to flare up once again. He’ll be evaluated and may miss a couple of games.

Staples Center

The Week Ahead: The Lakers have a big home stretch coming up with five games at STAPLES Center over the next two weeks, including two with key Western Conference contenders. Los Angeles kicks off the week Tuesday night when they host the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are coming off of an impressive home victory over the Miami Heat. Thursday night Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder make a visit to STAPLES Center, giving Lakers fans a chance to see the NBA’s leading MVP candidate in action. Following the All Star Break the Lakers return home next week when they face off versus the Houston Rockets in a game that many Lakers fans have had circled on the calendar since last summer. Wednesday will mark the return of former Lakers center Dwight Howard to STAPLES Center. The gifted big man, who had an up and down season in LA last year, has teamed with James Harden to put the Rockets in the fourth playoff position in the west. Lakers Vs Rockets tickets start at just $48 per ticket. The Lakers wrap up the following week by hosting the Boston Celtics on Friday and the New Jersey Nets on Sunday. With five games including four playoff contenders it will be a big ten days of basketball for Lakers fans. Chris Michaels.

Barry’s Ticket Service is an Official Partner of the Los Angeles Clippers and offers Clippers Tickets for all home and away games.

Barry’s Tickets is located just caddy-corner from the LA Staples Center:
1020 S. Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90015
(across from the Staples Center inside the Luxe City Center)
Open 7 days a week, 10am – 9pm, for pickups.
(213)749-0057

Kobe Bryant played just six games in the 2013-2014 season and his performance reminded little of the dominant superstar we all know the Black Mamba is. Nonetheless, this didn’t stop NBA fans from voting him as a starter for the 2014 All-Star game.

This will be Kobe’s 16th appearance in an All-Star game. Of course, it’s still uncertain if Kobe will be able to play. The 35-year old megastar is still rehabbing from his knee injury and the latest word from the Los Angeles Lakers states that he will be re-evaluated over the next few days.

Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors earned his spot in the All-Star game this season. In fact, there was much criticism around the league because of his non-selection last year. The 25-year old sharpshooter has been recording a terrific season up to now, showing us more of the same lethal scoring abilities, especially from long range. Actually, Curry is averaging career-highs in points per game, with 23.5 and assists with 9.2. This will be his first All-Star appearance.

Griffin

Blake Griffin will make his fourth straight All-Star appearance and this time he will be a starter. Griffin has really taken the Los Angeles Clippers on his shoulders this season due to the shoulder injury of Chris Paul. Griffin has been playing fantastically as of lately. He is averaging 22.6 points and 10 rebounds per game this season for the Clips, while his also shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.

Kevin Durant will of course be a starter for the Western All-Stars. His performance has skyrocketed this season, especially since Russell Westbrook went down with an injury. Durant is leading the league in scoring with 31 points per game. His buddy, Russell Westbrook will not participate in the All-Star game.

Kevin Love will complete the starting lineup for the Western All-Stars. This will be the first time Love will be starting in an All-Star game. He is the league-leader in double-doubles and he managed to steal the starting position from Dwight Howard. The fact that Dwight Howard will not start in this All-Star game was a big surprise.

The Eastern All-Stars will have a weird starting lineup, as none of the frontcourt players normally plays a position above the small forward. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will both start for the Eastern All-Stars. LeBron’s selection comes as no surprise. He still is the best player in the world. Wade on the other hand is experiencing some injury issues as of lately but he should be ready to go for the All-Star game.

Paul George will also be a starter and that was widely expected around the NBA. George is continuing to improve his performance and he is putting up superstar-like performances.

Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving complete the starting five for the Eastern All-Stars. This will be Irving’s second straight All-Star appearance and his first start. Melo will start for the sixth time in an All-Star Game. By: